A council has been accused of ‘hypocrisy’ after fining a couple hundreds of pounds for growing vegetables in their garden without planning permission.
After deciding to start a vegetable plot during the pandemic, Lee and Kirstie Lawes settled on an unfenced patch of lawn toward the rear of their property in Deeping St James, Lincolnshire.
At the same time, they had become fed up with repeatedly finding dog poo and cars parked on the grass, making it difficult to mow.
Having confirmed the land was part of the property through Land Registry records, the couple put up a fence and raised vegetable beds in January 2020.
Mr Lawes said: ‘It was great – we ended up with so much produce we were able to give some to neighbours and left some out so that people could help themselves.
‘But a year on, we had a letter from the council saying we needed to pay £469 for a ‘change of use’ of the land.’
Officials from South Kesteven District Council told them part of their garden was classified as ‘informal open space’, which means the public must be able to access it freely for activities such as walking.
Mr Lawes added: ‘I accept they are following procedure but it’s the hypocrisy of it that I find frustrating.
“The government is telling us to be more sustainable but when someone starts to ‘grow their own’, the council tells you to pay £469 for the privilege.
‘It would have been easier to extend our house onto the land.’
A spokesman for South Kesteven District Council said: ‘The land at the rear of these properties is classed as informal open space and the owner has not applied for planning permission to change that.
‘We have been advising them throughout on the lawful use of this land and continue to offer informal help while encouraging them to apply for planning permission, without which they might struggle to re-mortgage or sell the property.’
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